Tamperproof hinge or the like



Feb. 22, 1949. E. L. BERK'SON 2,462,300

TAMPER-PROOF HINGE OR THE LIKE Filed Sept. 6, 1945 fnz/efifarx Ezuin Z. Ber/15072 Patented Feb. 22, 1949 UNITED STATES hATENT Application September 6, 1945, Serial No. 614,684

3 Claims.

Thisin'vention relates to'a'tamper-proof hinge orthe'like', the invention being specially adaptable to butt hinges such as a straight hinge, a right angle'hinge, or even to a hasp or other multi-part securing device'in which the parts, more particularly, are pivoted together for socalled opening and closing movements selective- 1y, usually when an associated lock mechanism is unlocked by authorized means.

The invention will be readily understood by reference to the following description, taken together with the accompanying drawings, of illustrative' constructions embodying the invention, and in which drawings- Figure 1 shows an adaptation of the invention toa common form of hinge for two relatively rotatable structures;

Figure-2 is a cross-section taken on the line 2 2'of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrowsand showing in broken lines an alternative rot'ative position of the parts;

Figure 3 is a separated perspective view of the cover plate shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 shows an adaptation of the invention to a slightly different form of hinge;

Figure 5 shows its'adaptation to a hasp; and

Figure 6 is a separated perspective view of two different modifications of cover plate usable with theinvention, the outer ends of the plates being shown broken away-to save space.

Referring in detail to the illustrative constructions shown in the drawings, and turning firstto Figure 1, the numerals l and H may indicate-two relatively rotatable structures, one ofwhich-say llLmight bea wall of a housing, and the other, H, a-- door thereto, and arranged iorsuchrelative rotation in order to afior'd access to the housing, by means of swinging the door on one or morehinges, each hinge illustratively comprising a pair of similarly rotatable hinge elements 12' and it, which, as is well known in the: art, maybe similar but complementary and include hinge plates, aligned hinge knuckles and hinge pin.

The hinge element l2 here shown includes hinge plate portion [4, and, angular thereto, a

knuckle portion l5, the latter being in the form of two spaced apart segments la and I51) vertically spaced apart to receive the middle hinge knuckle portion l6 of the hinge element l3, which also includes a plate portion H. A pintle I00 serves-as a hinge pin and pivotally connects the hinge elements, l2 and I 3. In the hinge plate fastener apertures l8 in each plate, by which fastenerssuch as the screws. [9 may be passed,

through the hinge plate portions and screwed home into the Wood material for example, of the relatively rotatable structures I0 and H respectively.

In accordance with the present invention,,the'

hingeelements l2 and I3 in'this instance are, of novel construction and element l2. will first be described, it being understood that element I3 is similar and complementary;

Struck outwardly from the plate, portion I' l,v in the direction in which the knuckle portion |5x is angled, is a guard portion 28, this guard per tion being in the form of a hood efiectedby: making a vertical cut as at- 2|.- in the plate-portion I4 stopping short. of its upper-v and lower:

margins and then extruding the. metal of, the:

plate outwardly to onev side of this=cut and-in this instance to the side of the cutfarthestiaway from the knuckle portion i5. This prov-idesraguarded or hooded opening 22 facingtheknuckleportion, and, aligned with this opening 2 2-,.isa;- slot 23 in the knuckle portion lelthrough which a cover plate 24 may be slid tocover theraperetures "land the heads of the screws l9 The coverplatez, as bestiseen'from Fig-ure13. showing a separated perspective view thereof,.is:. a metalplate ofa width andthickness-suchthat.

it may be slid snugly through the-slot Ziandhave its outer endZ-a received under the guard 20, the

main body of the cover plate covering the apertures and screw heads after the plate is so disposed. The outer end of the cover plate may be advantageously rounded or beveled as at '26 to thus making the cover plate of angular formation,

so that its limit of movement in one direction is determined both by the hooded guard 25] and also by the flange 21, the flange preventing the end of the cover plate which carries the flange from passing through the slot 23.

Since the cover plate 24 can only be removed by retracting it from the hinge plate through the slot 23 in the. opposite direction to which it is inserted, it is evident that when the hinge elements l2 and I3 are in closed position, as when the door I I for example is closed, the cover plate 24 cannotbe' removed from the hinge plate l4. Consequently, the screws I9 are covered, concealed and'inaccessible to anyone who might seek, to tamper with the hinge for say the purpose of. unauthorized entry to the housing. When,.however, the door ll is opened, presumably, under authorized circumstances, thereby swinging the hinge elements to one relative rotative position indicated in broken lines in Figure 2 as at 28, the cover plate 24 may be removed, thereby giving access to the screws I9 and permitting removal or the hinge element I2 if desired. In removing the cover plate 24, the flange 2'! conveniently serves as a handle, so to speak, by which it may be grasped for removal or insertion. It will be understood that, conversely, only when the hinge elements are in open position, as just referred to, may the cover plate 24 be inserted into position.

It will also now be understood that the hinge element I3 may have a similar hooded guard 20a but facing in the opposite direction to the guard 20 of the hinge element I2, so that the guard portions face toward each other, and the plate portion I! may receive thereon one of the cover plates 24 through a slot 23a, similar to the slot 23 but in the knuckle portion I6 of the hinge element I3. The cover plates 24 may be similar for both hinge elements and as shown in Figure 3.

As shown in Figure 4, the invention is adaptable to a hinge in which the hinge elements are in angular relation when closed and at right-angles for example, as here shown in this figure of the drawing, the parts being generally similar except that a cover plate 29 may be here used which has its flanged inner end 30 at an obtuse angle instead of at a right-angle as in Figure 3. The obtuse angle flange 30 of the cover plate 29 thus adapts itself to the obtuse angular arrangement of the knuckle portion 3! of the hinge element of Figure 4 to the hinge plate portion 32.

As shown in Figure 5, instead of each hinge element being screwed to one of a pair of relatively movable structures, this may be true of only one of the hinge elements, in this instance 33, the other hinge element 34 being in the form of a hasp plate which is provided with the usual opening 35 through which a loop member 36 of a striking plate 31 may project, as for the reception there of a padlock, as is well known and need not be here further described. In this case, not only are the screws I9a of the plate 33 covered and concealed by the cover plate 24 and the cover plate 24 irremovable therefrom when the hasp is closed but the screws 38 of the striking plate are also inaccessible except when the hasp is opened.

As seen in Figure 6, the cover plates for each of the hinge elements of the structures of Figures 1, 2 and 3 for example, may be slightly different instead of being the same as at 24. As in Figure 6, one of the cover plates 39, say, for the hinge element I2, may have its flange 4e recessed centrally as at 4| to provide two rises 42 at each end of the flange. These rises 42 desirably require the cover plate to be wedged onto the hinge element I2 by a wedging action or contact as at 43 (Figure 2) with each of the knuckle segments Ia and I5b, the recess 4! avoiding contact of the flange with the knuckle it of the hinge element i3. Similarly, the cover plate 44 for the hinge element I3 has its flange 45 extended centrally as at 46 to provide a rise at this point which wedges against the knuckle portion I6 of the hinge element I3 while the flange 45 at its ends avoid the knuckle segments I5a and I521. It will be understood that the knuckle portions are in part tubular and are aligned thus I511, I6, and 15b, to provide aligned gudgeons for the hinge pin IE5, and that if the flanges of the cover plate are not thus formed as here just described, and are formed merely as shown in Figure 3, they might each contact all of the hinge segments I5a, I6 and I5b, and, if tight enough to be wedged into position, would be subjected to a frictional wearing action as the hinge would be opened and closed. By the formations of Figure 6, such a Wedging contact is permitted while avoiding o'ojectionable wearing or frictional contact. Thus the cover plates 39 and 44 are held in place against accidental displacement, in the event say, that the hinge elements might be arranged to open on a horizontal axis instead of a vertical axis, which latter is shown in Figures 1 and 2.

In any event, with the structures of any of Figures 1, 2, 4 or 5, and with the cover plates of either Figure 3 or Figure 6, the close proximity or butt relationship of the two relatively rotatable hinge elements adjacent their knuckle portions further prevents insertion or removal of the cover plates when the hinge is closed and therefore prevents unauthorized access to the screws holding the hinge elements to the housin or door as the case may be. r The invention is not intended to be limited t details of construction or to the specific adaptations here shown, but it is to be understood that such changes may be made as fall within the scope of the appended claims without departing therefrom.

The invention having been described, what is here claimed is:

1. In a tamper-proof hinge, the combination of a hinge element embodying a hinge plate portion and a hinge knuckle portion angular to said hinge plate portion, a fastener aperture in said hinge plate portion, a guard portion on said plate portion spaced from said knuckle portion, said guard portion being oifset outwardly of the plate in the same direction as said knuckle portion is portion, a guard portion on said plate portion spaced from said knuckle portion, said guard portion being offset outwardly of the plate portion in the same direction as said knuckle portion is angled, a slot in said knuckle portion adjacent said plate portion, a cover plate slidable in said slot and under said guard portion, whereby to REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,105,186 Crown July 28, 1914 1,228,441 Hubbard June 5, 1917 

